- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,433
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
If I Had a Million is one of the first so-called "omnibus" productions, for which several filmmakers create short films joined together by a single theme.
Bringing together the Paramount stable of talent for the era (1932) it includes eight pre-code - what are essentially two-reelers (or shorter), but some of the shorts stand out, and stand the test of time beautifully.
You'll find Death Cell, directed by silent film great James Cruze, The Forger from H. Bruce Humberstone, The Clerk from Ernst Lubitsch and comedy great Norman Z. McLeod giving us China Shop and Road Hogs. Stephen Roberts directs Violet and Grandma, while William A. Seiter is being The Three Marines.
The stand-outs to me have always been Road Hog, featuring W.C. Fields and Alison Skipworth, and Grandma featuring Mary Boland, May Robson and more silent film actresses than you can shake a stick at.
At just 88 minutes, it's great fun with a great melange of talent.
As a Blu-ray, it's pretty much as might be expected both of the era, and as an EMKA. Presumably from a third generation dupe, it still carries a nice gray scale and an overall quality image. Some may be offended by the grain, but you'll get over it, and probably need to see more early '30s films derived from dupes.
Image – 3.25
Audio – 3.5 (Monaural)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Works up-rezzed to 4k - OK
Upgrade from DVD - Yes
Highly Recommended
RAH
Bringing together the Paramount stable of talent for the era (1932) it includes eight pre-code - what are essentially two-reelers (or shorter), but some of the shorts stand out, and stand the test of time beautifully.
You'll find Death Cell, directed by silent film great James Cruze, The Forger from H. Bruce Humberstone, The Clerk from Ernst Lubitsch and comedy great Norman Z. McLeod giving us China Shop and Road Hogs. Stephen Roberts directs Violet and Grandma, while William A. Seiter is being The Three Marines.
The stand-outs to me have always been Road Hog, featuring W.C. Fields and Alison Skipworth, and Grandma featuring Mary Boland, May Robson and more silent film actresses than you can shake a stick at.
At just 88 minutes, it's great fun with a great melange of talent.
As a Blu-ray, it's pretty much as might be expected both of the era, and as an EMKA. Presumably from a third generation dupe, it still carries a nice gray scale and an overall quality image. Some may be offended by the grain, but you'll get over it, and probably need to see more early '30s films derived from dupes.
Image – 3.25
Audio – 3.5 (Monaural)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Works up-rezzed to 4k - OK
Upgrade from DVD - Yes
Highly Recommended
RAH
